During my book review with Greg Williams on The Learning Experience Leader Podcast, we discussed the concept of “learning is a journey,” which was one of the major takeaways from the book, Design Thinking for Training and Development by Laura Fletcher and Sharon Boller. Reflecting on this made me realize that learning as a journey is something most people have experienced, whether they realize it or not.
This concept perfectly describes my experience entering the field of instructional design. At first, I took one class at a time, and each new concept felt compartmentalized, incomplete, and difficult to apply. I felt myself thinking, how am I ever going to know enough or practice enough to solve a real-world problem? Eventually, I started merging my classes together, learning from books, podcasts, and online resources, while gaining my own work experiences. I now can do more difficult projects and seek to learn industry-adjacent topics such as UX design, technical writing, graphic design, and project management.
At first, I was unsure if the informal sources I had found, such as online articles, were really beneficial. It was unclear what I didn’t know and what would really be helpful. But now that I have a stronger foundation, I find myself coming across a problem and then referencing back to sources that mentioned something useful. Having a greater knowledge base and exposure to different ideas gives me more opportunities to grow holistically.
Many people experience learning as a journey and using informal sources with their hobbies. One starts as a beginner and, over time, takes in information from different sources while getting repeated feedback and practice. I have witnessed this myself with cooking. I have never received structured education in cooking, but over the years have gained knowledge in skills from various books, podcasts, websites, and my own trial and error. Experience creates a snowball effect where one can scan his or her history of using that skill to solve a new problem. For example, if I am out of an ingredient when cooking, I can think back to if I have ever substituted that item before and how it turned out.
People joke about how easy it is to Google something, and that might not seem like “real” learning, but actually, Googling is a form of inquiry-based learning, which is an extremely powerful strategy. With inquiry-based learning, learners are extremely motivated to learn because they seek to solve a problem. They are in complete control of their learning and feel that it is an efficient use of their time. In my former job, I became an expert Excel data analyst by Googling how to do things needed for projects. This was much more motivational and effective than passively sitting through tutorials that may or may not cover what I needed to know.
To me, learning as a journey is comforting. It reminds me I will not become an expert after one class, but there will be plenty of opportunities to learn, grow, and try. It is an evolution that takes time and chance and often is not linear. It also shows how much opportunity there is when you are interested and decide to learn something.
As a designer, it proves to me the power of motivation. People are learning and seeking information all of the time, though it might not be on the topics they are told to learn. It shows the power of informal learning: the posts people come across on social media, speakers they see, and conversations they have with others can be even more powerful than a formal class. It shows the importance of the entire experience of learning, not just a curriculum. What learning interactions are new employees having with coworkers and managers? What resources are there for inquiry-based learning? And does social connectedness and intrinsic motivation support learning outcomes? I will continue to consider all of these questions, as well as the impact of informal learning as I continue writing, researching, and learning!